 
Archive : September 2003
SEREMBAN BEC LENDS SUPPORT TO IJ SISTERS
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Klang : Church of the Visitation’s St. Joan BEC in Bukit Rasah initiated an evening of musical oldies recently in a community fund-raising gesture to address some of the needs of the Infant Jesus (IJ) community in their diverse educational and care programme. Collaborating with the Visitation Senior Parishioners Fellowship (VSPF), the evening was made possible with the support of parishioners and friends of the parish. Parish priest, Fr. Albet Arockiasamy presented RM 3000.00 to Sr. Teresa Chua from the Rahang IJ Community which runs educational programmes through their learning centre located in the slums. Thanking the community for the support, Sr. Teresa said that a part of the contribution would go to IJ projects in Sabah and China. The Sabah project, Madika (Mari Didik Kanak-kanak) was started in 1966 to help children in rural farming communities. The New China Link (NCL) is a volunteer service for rural China, which takes on educational ventures. (Herald)
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VISITATION CHURCH LAUNCHES DIVINE OFFICE FOR LAITY
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Seremban : The Church of the Visitation marked the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the launching of the Divine Office for the laity during a 6.45 am Eucharistic celebration. Fr. Julian Leow, the assistant parish priest introduced the prayers and helped the congregation to adapt themselves to the 15-minute prayer format. The Divine Office, which will be an integral part in the life of the parishioners, is part of the spiritual formation which is being introduced by Fr. Albet Arockiasamy, the parish priest. BECs have been encouraged to get all families to use that Divine Office. Monthly area-based BEC and parish-based BECOT meetings begin with the Evening Prayer found in the Divine Office. (Herald)
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ST. THOMAS HELPS ORANG ASLI STUDENTS
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Kuantan : Several Orang Asli students prepared for their final-year examinations with a week-long study programme recently. The study programme was organised by the Church of St. Thomas, Kuantan. The students stayed in the guest-rooms of the parish and meals were provided by the parish and some generous parishioners. The Orang Asli students were thankful for the opportunity to attend this revision course and hoped that such programmes were held yearly. The programme was found to be effective because it not only helped the students in their studies, but also gave them an exposure to the urban life-style, thus providing them with a broader outlook of life. (Herald)
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NEGERI DISTRICT CATECHISTS EXAMINE THEIR ROLE
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Seremban : On average, a school-going Catholic child has only between 32 to 36 hours in a year to learn about the faith. This works out to about one and a half days out of 365 days in a year. These and many more issues were raised at a one-day reflection held for catechist in the Negeri Sembilan district. The 80 catechists from the parishes of Mantin, Tampin, Port Dickson and Seremban focussed on their personal and missionary commitment as catechists, in line with the Church’s mission and vision. Helping them to understand their role as faith-educators was Steven Selvaraju, a lecturer at College General Seminary in Penang. Participants acknowledged that parents play a parallel role in the development of the faith life of a child. They also agreed that the archdiocese and parish must ensure that faith-educators were adequately equipped to impart the faith. (Herald)
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OLL FAMILY DAY BRINGS BECS TOGETHER
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Klang : In line with the theme Renewing Family Life, the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes celebrated Family Day at the La Salle School field on Sept. 1. The main aim of the celebration was to bring together all families of the parish for a day of plain fun and games and to allow them to mingle with families from their own BECs as well as from other BECs. To add a spiritual touch to complement the day of fun, Mass was held at 7.15 am at the La Salle Formation Centre. The clergy of the parish comprising of Fr. Gerard Theraviam, Fr. Danny Matthews and Deacon A. P. Thomas marked the opening of the Family Day by releasing hundreds of helium-filled balloons carrying the family day banner. Most of the BECs participated in the more than 10 group-based games. A great sense of unity was evident as members helped and cheered on each other. (Herald)
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CHALLENGE OF BEING A CHRISTIAN IN TODAY’S WORLD
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Cheras : Christians in today’s world face a constant struggle. They are always busy. There is a four letter B-word that is used extensively in the vocabulary of any typical working youth. Although harmless in its implications, the word B-U-S-Y is not just typically spoken to describe our hectic lives but also stands as a subtle excuse that somehow drifts us further away from God. About 40 working youths from various parishes in the Klang Valley attended an insightful weekend session at the Cheras IJ Convent recently. Echoing the theme A Christian in Today’s World, the camp was organized by Single Adults Fellowship (SAF) to make the Catholic faith more applicable and relevant in the lives of young working adults. The camp concluded with an explained Mass celebrated by Fr. Gerard Theraviam, with the aim of making the Eucharistic Celebration a mystical re-enactment of Christ’s life. (Herald)
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LET GOD BE IN CHARGE, YOUNG PEOPLE TOLD
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Port Dickson : The true challenge for young people in going through life these days is trying to strike a balance, shape hopes, dreams as well as troubles with family and peers while above all letting God be ‘in charge’. David Ong, Adviser of St. Peter’s Parish Youth Group expressed these in his opening address at the 9th parish annual youth camp held recently at the Pantai Kundor La Salle Brothers Bungalow. About 52 participants attended the camp themed, Do Not Be Afraid. Ong reminded participants on the importance of faith in their own lives. He explained that through prayer young people can discern the true meaning and purpose of life. “With God in charge you will be conscious of the happenings around you and thus be able to undertake service and duty with thoughtfulness to build better understanding families and communities,” Ong added. (Herald)
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UNITY IMPORTANT FOR A HEALTHY PARISH LIFE
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Port Dickson : “Unity is paramount for healthy parish life, and anything contrary to the objectives that are designed for unity will have no place in our programme. We must experience the reality of the one body of Christ and we have no options but to unite,” said Fr. Leonard John, parish priest of the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Fr. Leonard, spoke to HERALD during the National Day and Family Day celebrations held at the parish on Aug 31 and Sept 1. He explained that he is always open to welcomes any suggestion that spell parish unity. The joy and hope of being family in the parish is a priority goal. An activity like Family Day is in fact living out a reality; and happy are those who discover this and rejoice in it. (Herald)
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BECS CLARIFIED
Kuala Lumpur : BECs (Basic Ecclesial Communities) have been a household term and this familiarity with the term has lost its meaning for some and so it is just a mere cliché. Hence, in order to overcome this difficulty, the Peninsular Malaysia Pastoral Team (PMPT) has come out with a clear understanding of what BEC is. The BECs are formed according to the area groups. What it means is spelled out and explained in terms of what each letter stands for. To this effect, a poster outlining the objectives of the BEC in simple words has been formulated for dissemination to all the faithful. According to Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, who is the Chairperson of the PMPT, the poster is to be displayed on notice boards in the parishes and church organizations. (Herald)
Click here to view the BEC Poster
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SPIRITUALITY FOR EVERY CATHOLIC
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Petaling Jaya : “Spirituality is not the property of the religious or priest only, but rather, it is for every baptized Catholic who is guided by the Holy Spirit,” explained Fr. Anthony Thomas during a liturgical formation held at the Church of St. Ignatius on Sept. 2. According to Fr. Thomas, spirituality is an attitude or lifestyle and we have to cultivate the experience of it through our religious beliefs. Consequently, through this attitude, we will be able to ‘look’ at life situations around us in different ways. Fr. Thomas, who is the Chairperson of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission, went on to say that all baptized Catholics go to church every weekend, thus acquiring Christian Spirituality that is based on the Eucharistic Celebration. About 65 people attended the three-hour programme which was conducted by Fr. Thomas and his two-man team of Richard Ganesh and Neubert Ambrose. (Herald)
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CHRIST THE KING HONOURS THE ELDERLY
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Kuala Lumpur : In conjunction with the National Day celebrations, youths of the Chapel of Christ the King, Selayang Baru honoured the elderly by organising an evening for senior citizens. The evening entitled, Feeling Young Again was organised by the Frederick Youth Touch (FYT), which is the youth wing of the parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society. The celebration was dedicated to the senior citizens of the parish in recognition of their service, dedication and wisdom provided to the parish. In his speech, Fr. Frederick Joseph, the parish priest said that, “ Like our leaders, our senior citizens have brought along with them their journeys, wisdom and experiences, which they have shared with the parish as well as with their families”. After the speech, Fr. Frederick placed a shawl on the oldest couple as an indication of respect and honour. (Herald)
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PARENTS ROLE IN CULTURE OF VIOLENCE
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Kuala Lumpur : Parents have an important role to play in moulding their children into useful citizens. As such, the responsibility cannot be shifted entirely to the school and teachers, said A. R. Peter, chairperson of the Catholic Teachers’ Association of Malaysia. Peter, a former teacher-principal and Tokoh Guru of 1995, was commenting on the wake of gross indiscipline and gangsterism-like behaviour in schools and residential colleges, which has caught the media’s attention of late. “In this respect, parents and the community have a role to play”. He added that the decline of morals among students and the culture of violence must be addressed by both the school and parents. Efforts to eradicate the culture of violence should begin at home and in schools before it spreads and gains a foothold in society. (Herald)
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HIGH TEACHER-PUPIL RATIO AT STELLA MARIS PRIMARY
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Kuala Lumpur : The gusty and joyful voice of 34 pupils singing the Negaraku, and other patriotic songs filled the serene air in Madonna Heights, Ampang as they celebrated National Day recently together with the rest of the nation. These pupils are from the Stella Maris Primary School, a private school located in the lush countryside of Ulu Langat, Ampang. The school is owned and operated by the Tan Sri Dominic Vendargon Foundation, a body set up by the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur to increase opportunities in education for our young people. According to James Khaw, the principal the school maintains good teacher-pupil ratio and the class size is limited to 25 pupils. This ensures every pupil gets the close attention of the teacher. The Tan Sri Dominic Vendargon Foundation also runs a secondary school in Kuala Lumpur. Both schools are now open for admission. For details contact 03-21411419 (secondary school) or 03-42603581 (primary school). (Herald)
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ARCHBISHOP’S PASTORAL VISIT TO EAST COAST
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Terengganu : Archbishop Murphy Pakiam received a warm welcome from the Catholic community of Terengganu and Kuantan during his three-day pastoral visit to the East Coast from Aug 22 to 24. He was accompanied by Fr. Eugene Benedict and Fr. George Packiasamy. Concelebrating the Eucharist at the Kuala Terengganu Catholic Mission, the Archbishop told the faithful to emulate the Holy Father and draw spiritual strength by spending time praying in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and praying the rosary. After Mass, he attended the parish pastoral assembly where he listened attentively to the thought-provoking more
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CONFIRMATION AT ST. THOMAS
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Kuantan : Twenty-three candidates received the Sacrament of Confirmation at the Church of St. Thomas on Aug 24. Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, who was on a pastoral visit to the East Coast officiated the celebration. Archbishop Pakiam reminded confirmants to always keep in mind the foundations of our faith and to emulate the Holy Father in his strong devotions to the Holy Eucharist and the Rosary. Noting that three of the confirmants were Mandarin-speaking, the Archbishop commented that, “we are all proud to belong to a community of different language groups united in faith”. He then proceeded to address them with a short homily in Mandarin. (Herald)
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DEBATE ON GENETIC ENGINEERING
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Kuala Lumpur : : Students of Stella Maris Private Secondary School proved their mettle during a debate against the Australian International School recently. Opposing the topic, “There is more to fear than to hope for from genetic engineering”, the Stella Maris team argued that genetic engineering is not about playing God. Displaying depth and maturity, the teenagers explained that by using science and God-given intellect we can help those suffering from physical ailments. They argued, “there is hope that through genetic engineering, in the not too distant future, more of our lame will walk, our deaf, hear and even our blind will see”. The Stella Maris team was coached by Jesuit Bro. Alvin Ho, a teacher at the school. (Herald)
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THE FARM – IDEAL VENUE FOR SEMINARS
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Situated 17 kilometres from Seremban, among the hills and kampungs of Lenggeng, is an amazing non-profit Catholic initiative known as The Farm. Located in the very heart of nature, The Farm brings about an awareness of one’s own existence. Hence, it serves as an ideal venue for retreats, seminars, formation, workshops and camps. Managed and supervised by Andrew Wong from the nearby parish of Mantin, the facility is capable of accommodating up to 120 persons at any one time.
Fr. Martin Lam, parish priest of Church of St. Aloysius, Mantin said that his parish could support formation programmes held at The Farm. He added that Catholic groups on weekend programmes could attend Mass at the church and for larger groups, on-site Eucharist celebration could be arranged. For details contact Andrew Wong at 012-3089995. (Herald)
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